Improvement in sewing-machines



l. HARRISON, Sewing Machine.

Patented July 31, 18557.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

JAS. HARRISON, JE., OE MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT lN SEWING-MACHINES. A

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 13,353, dated July 3l, 1855.

To all whom, it may concern:

YBe it known that I, JAMES HARRISON, Jr.,

of the city and county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented a newl and useful Improvement in Sewing-Machines; and I'do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming 'part of this specication, in which- Figure l is a section of part of a sewingmachine illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe same.

Similar letters of reference' designate corresponding parts in both figures.

This invention relates to certain means of feeding the material to be sewed, which are applicable to theA working of button-holes, embroidery, and also to the sewing of curved and crooked work genera y. A

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is the table of a sewing-machine, against the upper surface of which theA material to be Sewed is coniined by a feed-plate, B, the under surface of which is either serratedbr provided with a few Sharp pins to take hold of the surface of the material. The feed-plate is held down by a spring, a, applied to the shank o of a shoe, C, which bears upon the top of the plate. This shoe also serves to guidethe feed-plate by means of two pins, c c, on its under side entering two parallel grooves, d d', in the back or upper side of the feed-plate. The grooves d d correspond in form with the form of the Seam or line in which the sewing is to be produced. Thus for working a buttonhole portions of the grooves are in the form of parts of circles which are concentric with the circular portion at one end of the buttonhole and the other portions are straight and parallel with the sides of the button-hole, all the parts of the respective grooves being equidistant from the nearest parts of the button hole. The two pins c c on the shoe C do not stand respective opposite to one another in their grooves d df, but at some distance from each other, in order to give greater steadiness to the feed-plate and prevent improper lateral motion. For thepurpose of giving the feed-plate the` necessary movement to carry that part or those parts of the cloth which are brought into the line of motion of thev needle, which is represented in Fig. I by a red line, and in Fig. 2 by a red dot, in the direction to produce a seam. or line of Sewing of the desired form, the feed-plate is furnished with a third groove, e, which may be of V or other form in its transverse section, but which in its plan corresponds with the form of the intended line of sewing and with the other two grooves, el d. This groove receives a dog or feeder, j', which may have either a reciprocating or rotary motion, but -is represented as having a reciprocating motion. This dog or feeder and the interior of'the groove have their surfaces serrated or roughened in such a manner that as the dog moves in the groove between the times of taking the stitches it will take hold of it and move it a certain distance. I

In Fig. 2 of the drawings the feed-plate is Shown in two positions-wiz., one in black' outline, which represents it feeding the material to form the circular end of the button hole, and another in red outline, which represents it forming one of the straight sides of the button-hole.v The length of the movement of the ydog will have to be much greater in' passing a curve than a straight line, owing to the curve in the groove being described with a radius so much larger'than the radius of the curve of the line of sewing. In order to give the material the movement laterally to the line of sewing which is necessary in working buttonI holes, embroidery, and some other kinds of sewing the head D, which carries the shoe, is arranged to receive a movement in the requisite direction, the feed-plate be; ing in that case moved bythe pins of the shoe, and the needle working in a iiXed line; but

'this movement forms no part of my inven tion.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to` secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Feeding the material to be Sewed by means of afeed-plate, B, which is guided,`sub` stantially as herein described, in the direction of any curved, circuitous, or irregular line of sewing by means of grooves d d or their equivalent on its back side, of a form corresponding to the said line, receiving or working in contact with iiXed pins c c or other l equivalent fixed guides, whereby motion is only allowed to the said Yfeed-plate in suoh difeed-plate and produces the necessary press; reetion as to make the material deseribe in nre of the plate on the material, substantially passing the needle the intended line7 the said as herein speeified.

feed-plate receiving motion by any meehani- JAMES HARRISON, JR. eztl deviee suitable for the purpose. Vit-nesses:

2. Combining` the guide-pins .0 0 or their Jos. GEO. MASON,

- equivalents with the shoe C, which eoniines the J. W. GooMns. 

